Located in Seine et Marne, in Vulaines sur Seine, MECA DISTRIBUTION was founded in 1983 by Martino Sapateiro. Both manager and experienced mechanic, the founder is at the time only 22 years old. The activity of precision mechanics starts when the ULM market is in full swing.
The company manufactures gearboxes, hoses for the wings and pulleys for receiving the belt for the engine. A major contract was then signed with Schlumberger for the supply of mechanical parts. Thirty years later, MECA DISTRIBUTION is one of the Top 10 suppliers of the Schlumberger Group (France, England, USA).
The company has become the specialist in the machining of hard materials - Alloy alloys, MP35N; Titanium alloys; Stainless steel and refractory - for prototypes, small and medium series up to 1000 pieces, diameter 3 to 800mm with a maximum length of 4000mm. It employs 48 people and its turnover represents approximately 11.1 million euros in 2012.
50% of the turnover of Meca Distribution is realized with the oil sector - of which Schlumberger. Other customer segments are aeronautics with, for example, the manufacture of Inconel 625 mechanical parts mounted on bellows for Senior Aerospace (ex Calorstat); Nuclear with Areva - supply of thin-wall collars, machined in the Inconel 625-EDF mass for the pressure sensors and the equipment connected to these sensors; Transport with MAN Diesel (boat engines) and SNCF with the manufacture of rotating bending test specimens for axle identification in order to test the resistance of rolling stock; Petrochemical, medical and special machinery. "To produce these parts, we use OKUMA machine tools, reliable, robust and high precision," explains Sapateiro. The rotary bending specimens we produce for SNCF are machined in the mass, made of steel. They are of length 210 mm with 3 / 100e of tolerance over the whole length and a RA (surface state) of 0.4 -generally obtained in rectification. "
OKUMA lathes to save time in machining and precision
At the end of 2000, the company was equipped with machine tools with a NUM cabinet. But the parts requested by the customers described above became more and more technical and required more tools. Meca Distribution invests in an OKUMA first round in 2001 to save time in machining and precision on standard parts. The idea was also to eliminate certain subcontracting operations, such as rectification.
This choice was made after research on the Internet and on catalogs. At the time, Mr. Sapateiro and his team consulted the three main world machine tool manufacturers, including OKUMA. "It was a matter of making a strategic and definitive choice," explains Mr. Sapateiro. At 90%, it should not be wrong because I knew that other investment machinery would follow. I wanted to work with a manufacturer able to offer a complete range of machines - turning, milling, small and large sizes; Have a single programming system and thus preserve the versatility of the operators. After reflection on plan, we retained the proposal of Okuma and its turn bi-turrets. Advantages ? Simultaneous machining of the two turrets results in reduced cycle times of 30% compared with a single-turn machine, the number of tools and more power and torque for the machining of difficult materials. In the end, the price also made the difference. To date, 10 OKUMA towers have been installed in the workshop, including 4 4-axis bi-turret turns (LU25, LU300-1000 and 2 LU300-600 turns), a Space Turn LB300 C-W800 twin lathe, 1 LB300 turn -M with axis milling, 2 turns LB300, 1 turn LB-400 and 1 turn LB25 which dates from 1989 and factory always to the hundredth.
OKUMA Machining Centers recognized of High Quality
In 2004, when Meca Distribution needed to invest in a machining center, several manufacturers were again consulted. "Again," explained Mr. Sapateiro, "we chose Okuma, a technical choice in relation to their proposal for a gantry machining center, guaranteeing rigidity, torque and precision. With hindsight, we can say that the quality of the OKUMA Machining Centers is identical to that, known and recognized, of their Towers. "
In total, the company invested in five OKUMA vertical machining centers with automatic refocusing of parts including 4 CU 4 axes (MB-46VAE, 2 MB-56VA, MB-66VA) and 1 CU 5 axes MB66 acquired in 2012. On this one COdeM equipped the machine with a plate Nikken 4 and 5 axes of diameter 200. M. Sapateiro hesitated between the acquisition of a machine 5 axes or equip a traditional machine of a 4th and 5th axis plate. "We needed 5 axes positioned," says Sapateiro. We chose this solution with 4 and 5 axis tray which proved to be much more economical and also more flexible. The divider is installed in a corner. We work with the tray when we need it, otherwise we have the whole table for the 'classical' operations. This allows us to machine complex parts without a 5-axis machine. "
OKUMA also installed probes on all Okuma Machining Centers at Meca Distribution. "Combined with the expertise and know-how of our operators, these OKUMA measuring probes have saved us considerable time," says Sapateiro. While it took us 7 to 8 minutes in manual, with risks of errors, we only need 1 mn to redo an origin in XYZ. We can also do dimensional control and planing. "
The manufacture of small and medium series thanks to the simplicity and the speed of programming of the OKUMA Numerical Control.
The Meca Distribution team does not work in 2/8 because of the complexity of the parts to be produced. Martino Sapateiro notes: "It is not necessary to machine long series for OKUMA machines to be interesting. Programming the Digital Control is very easy. They are versatile machines, perfectly adapted to the production of small and medium series. They have high reliability, rigidity, precision and speed of implementation. "
Martino Sapateiro adds: "The company does not have" button presses "but very experienced operators, with great know-how. The parts we produce are the result of an alchemy between the operators and the machines ". Young recruits are systematically supervised by the elders. In shooting, there is an operator for 2 machines while in milling, the work is organized in islands with 3 operators for 6 machines. This allows to lower the hourly rate dedicated to the damping of the machine.
Always with the aim of achieving maximum precision and quality, Meca Distribution's workshop is air-conditioned. The company wishes to develop its activity in the aeronautics sector. It had a building of 2500 m2 and currently has an additional 800m2. To meet client needs, Mr. Sapateiro is considering new activities such as editing. The company needs to increase its machining capacity, it plans to acquire new Okuma machines. Mr. Sapateiro foresees the renewal of the technology with, for example, 5 axes and multifunction machines Okuma Multus. To be continued...
The company manufactures gearboxes, hoses for the wings and pulleys for receiving the belt for the engine. A major contract was then signed with Schlumberger for the supply of mechanical parts. Thirty years later, MECA DISTRIBUTION is one of the Top 10 suppliers of the Schlumberger Group (France, England, USA).
The company has become the specialist in the machining of hard materials - Alloy alloys, MP35N; Titanium alloys; Stainless steel and refractory - for prototypes, small and medium series up to 1000 pieces, diameter 3 to 800mm with a maximum length of 4000mm. It employs 48 people and its turnover represents approximately 11.1 million euros in 2012.
50% of the turnover of Meca Distribution is realized with the oil sector - of which Schlumberger. Other customer segments are aeronautics with, for example, the manufacture of Inconel 625 mechanical parts mounted on bellows for Senior Aerospace (ex Calorstat); Nuclear with Areva - supply of thin-wall collars, machined in the Inconel 625-EDF mass for the pressure sensors and the equipment connected to these sensors; Transport with MAN Diesel (boat engines) and SNCF with the manufacture of rotating bending test specimens for axle identification in order to test the resistance of rolling stock; Petrochemical, medical and special machinery. "To produce these parts, we use OKUMA machine tools, reliable, robust and high precision," explains Sapateiro. The rotary bending specimens we produce for SNCF are machined in the mass, made of steel. They are of length 210 mm with 3 / 100e of tolerance over the whole length and a RA (surface state) of 0.4 -generally obtained in rectification. "
OKUMA lathes to save time in machining and precision
At the end of 2000, the company was equipped with machine tools with a NUM cabinet. But the parts requested by the customers described above became more and more technical and required more tools. Meca Distribution invests in an OKUMA first round in 2001 to save time in machining and precision on standard parts. The idea was also to eliminate certain subcontracting operations, such as rectification.
This choice was made after research on the Internet and on catalogs. At the time, Mr. Sapateiro and his team consulted the three main world machine tool manufacturers, including OKUMA. "It was a matter of making a strategic and definitive choice," explains Mr. Sapateiro. At 90%, it should not be wrong because I knew that other investment machinery would follow. I wanted to work with a manufacturer able to offer a complete range of machines - turning, milling, small and large sizes; Have a single programming system and thus preserve the versatility of the operators. After reflection on plan, we retained the proposal of Okuma and its turn bi-turrets. Advantages ? Simultaneous machining of the two turrets results in reduced cycle times of 30% compared with a single-turn machine, the number of tools and more power and torque for the machining of difficult materials. In the end, the price also made the difference. To date, 10 OKUMA towers have been installed in the workshop, including 4 4-axis bi-turret turns (LU25, LU300-1000 and 2 LU300-600 turns), a Space Turn LB300 C-W800 twin lathe, 1 LB300 turn -M with axis milling, 2 turns LB300, 1 turn LB-400 and 1 turn LB25 which dates from 1989 and factory always to the hundredth.
OKUMA Machining Centers recognized of High Quality
In 2004, when Meca Distribution needed to invest in a machining center, several manufacturers were again consulted. "Again," explained Mr. Sapateiro, "we chose Okuma, a technical choice in relation to their proposal for a gantry machining center, guaranteeing rigidity, torque and precision. With hindsight, we can say that the quality of the OKUMA Machining Centers is identical to that, known and recognized, of their Towers. "
In total, the company invested in five OKUMA vertical machining centers with automatic refocusing of parts including 4 CU 4 axes (MB-46VAE, 2 MB-56VA, MB-66VA) and 1 CU 5 axes MB66 acquired in 2012. On this one COdeM equipped the machine with a plate Nikken 4 and 5 axes of diameter 200. M. Sapateiro hesitated between the acquisition of a machine 5 axes or equip a traditional machine of a 4th and 5th axis plate. "We needed 5 axes positioned," says Sapateiro. We chose this solution with 4 and 5 axis tray which proved to be much more economical and also more flexible. The divider is installed in a corner. We work with the tray when we need it, otherwise we have the whole table for the 'classical' operations. This allows us to machine complex parts without a 5-axis machine. "
OKUMA also installed probes on all Okuma Machining Centers at Meca Distribution. "Combined with the expertise and know-how of our operators, these OKUMA measuring probes have saved us considerable time," says Sapateiro. While it took us 7 to 8 minutes in manual, with risks of errors, we only need 1 mn to redo an origin in XYZ. We can also do dimensional control and planing. "
The manufacture of small and medium series thanks to the simplicity and the speed of programming of the OKUMA Numerical Control.
The Meca Distribution team does not work in 2/8 because of the complexity of the parts to be produced. Martino Sapateiro notes: "It is not necessary to machine long series for OKUMA machines to be interesting. Programming the Digital Control is very easy. They are versatile machines, perfectly adapted to the production of small and medium series. They have high reliability, rigidity, precision and speed of implementation. "
Martino Sapateiro adds: "The company does not have" button presses "but very experienced operators, with great know-how. The parts we produce are the result of an alchemy between the operators and the machines ". Young recruits are systematically supervised by the elders. In shooting, there is an operator for 2 machines while in milling, the work is organized in islands with 3 operators for 6 machines. This allows to lower the hourly rate dedicated to the damping of the machine.
Always with the aim of achieving maximum precision and quality, Meca Distribution's workshop is air-conditioned. The company wishes to develop its activity in the aeronautics sector. It had a building of 2500 m2 and currently has an additional 800m2. To meet client needs, Mr. Sapateiro is considering new activities such as editing. The company needs to increase its machining capacity, it plans to acquire new Okuma machines. Mr. Sapateiro foresees the renewal of the technology with, for example, 5 axes and multifunction machines Okuma Multus. To be continued...